Newport-Mesa district OKs funds of high school stadiums

COSTA MESA – In stark contrast to the shouting match just weeks before, board members of the Newport-Mesa Unified School district voted enthusiastically and unanimously Tuesday night to give $7.4 million each to stadium projects at Costa Mesa and Corona del Mar high schools.

Estancia High School was also given $1 million toward the planning of an aquatics center.

“I have chills, I am so thrilled about this,” said board member Katrina Foley during discussion of the spending plan.

In the board’s meeting earlier this month, members had decided to abstain from distributing the $15.8 million from the city’s shuttered Redevelopment Agency in favor of gathering an equity committee to investigate how to split the funds fairly.

That decision led to some dissent among board members, some of whom said they were frustrated by the delay. That dissent prompted Superintendent Frederick Navarro to present the compromise passed Tuesday night.

Several athletic directors, coaches and parents attended the meeting to thank trustees for expediting the process. The new facilities will make students safer and give them a sense of pride in their school, said Corona del Mar parent Jane Jones.

“School spirit is the feeling you get when you step into your home stadium at homecoming game,” Jones said.

Corona del Mar football offensive coordinator John Griffin, who is also a real estate agent, said the complexes will help to raise property value in the area. Because the district gets its revenue from property taxes, the higher values will support the schools in the long run, Griffin said.

“This may very well be a self-fulfilling prophesy,” said Deputy Superintendant Paul Reed during discussion of the spending plan.

One member of the public urged trustees to put Estancia’s money toward a theater, but trustees said that project will be built with Measure F funds, a $282 million bond initiative approved by voters in 2005. The funds are expected to be available by 2020.

This spending plan was the only way to put money toward an aquatics center for Estancia, several board members noted. Estancia is the only high school in the district that doesn’t have a competition-sized pool.

As for the stadiums, preliminary plans have already been looked into.

According to estimates presented by Reed, the Corona del Mar stadium could cost anywhere from $6.5 million to $12.5 million, while the Costa Mesa High stadium could range from $7.5 million to $11.5 million – depending on the amenities included.

Reed said the next step will be to find architects to design the facilities. Trustees should be voting on this before the holidays, Reed said.